MICHAEL P. CAVA Ramsay Professor Emeritus ORGANIC CHEMISTRY natural product synthesis, novel heterocycles, new organic structures for material science applications B.S., 1946, Harvard University; M.S., 1948, Ph.D., 1951, University of Michigan; NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, 1951-1953, Harvard University. affiliations: Material Science Program

---

Research Interests

Professor Cava's research areas extend over several different areas of organic chemistry. In the field of natural products, he is interested in the chemistry of biologically significant compounds, especially those derived from aromatic or heterocyclic systems. Recent structural and synthetic work has focused upon unusual isoquinoline and indole alkaloids, especially those of marine origin.

Other research interests include the organic chemistry of sulfur, selenium and tellurium with particular emphasis on novel heterocycles and polymers having potential applications in the materials science area. In this connection, he is also a participant in the Materials Science Program.

---

Representative Publications

"N,N-Dimethylformamide-Mediated Sodium Reduction of trans-3,3'-Benzo[c]thienylidene-1,1'-dithione and trans-3,3'-Benzo[c]selenonylidene-1,1'-dithione." Aqad, E.; Lakshmikantham, M. V.; Cava, M. P. Org. Lett., 6, 3039-3041 (2004).

"Synthesis of Stable Seleno[3,4-b]quinoxaline Derivatives." Aqad, E.; Lakshmikantham, M. V.; Cava, M. P. Org. Lett., 5, 4089-4092 (2003).

"Synthesis of Benzo[c]selenophene and Derivatives via New Routes," E. Aqad, M. V. Lakshmikantham, M. P. Cava, Org. Lett. 5, 2519-2521 (2003).

"Thiophene Isosteres of 9,10-Dithioanthraquinone," Y. A. Jackson, D. Rajagopal, J. Bendolph, M. Guillory, M. V. Lakshmikantham, J. T. Yang, M. P. Cava, Org. Lett. 5, 1883-1885 (2003).

"Synthesis and Transformations of some new 2,4-Bismethylene-1,3-ditelluretanes," D. Rajagopol, M. V. Lakshmikantham, M. P. Cava, G. A. Broker, R. D. Rogers, Tetrahedron Lett. 44, 2397-2400 (2003).

"Rectification and Nonlinear Optical Properties of a Langmuir-Blodgett Monolayer of a Pyridinium Dye," J. W. Baldwin, R. R. Amaresh, I. R. Peterson, W. J. Shumate, M. P. Cava, M. A. Amiri, R. Hamilton, G. J. Ashwell, R. M. Metzger, J. Phys. Chem. B, 106, 12158-12164 (2002).

"Synthesis of the First 1,3-Ditellurole-Containing Radialene-Type TTF Derivatives," D. Rajagopol, M. V. Lakshimkantham, M. P. Cava, Org. Lett. 4, 2581-2583 (2002).

"Condensed Thiophenes and Selenophenes: Thionyl Chloride and Selenium Oxychloride as Sulfur and Selenium Transfer Reagents," R. R. Amaresh, M. V. Lakshmikantham, J. W. Baldwin, M. P. Cava, R. M. Metzger, R. D. Rogers, J. Org. Chem. 67, 2453-2458 (2002).

"Generation of the First Tellurium-Containing Diheteropentalene," D. Rajagopol, M. V. Lakshmikantham, E. H. Morkved, M. P. Cava, Org. Lett,.4, 1193-1195 (2002).

"Synthesis of 3,4-Ethylenedioxyselenophene (EDOS): A Novel Building Block for Electron-Rich π-Conjugated Polymers," E. Aqad, M. V. Lakshmikantham, M. P. Cava, Org. Lett. 3, 4283-4285 (2001).